Supervisory mechanism



Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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SUPE RVISORY MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,1918.

C. E. RENSHAW AND E. C. HEALY.

SUPERVISORY' MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,1918.

1 407 31 3 Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PORATION OF NEW YORK.

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EAST ORANGE, N EW' JERSEY, INC., 035 NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- err SUPERVZSORY TMECEIANISI/I.

Appilcation filed July 20, 1918.

To all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that we, GHAnLns E. REN- SHAW and ELLrs C. HEALY, both citizens of the United States residing at East Orange in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supervisory Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention which constitutes the suh ject-matter of this application relates to a supervisory mechanism and has to do with mechanism for controlling access to a recording key contained in a receptacle located adjacent to a valve constituting a part of a sprinkler or other system.

One of the important features of the in vention consists in the provision of positive and reliable mechanism for controlling access to the key or other instrument for producing a record on the record dial of a watchmans clock. That is to say, when the valve is open, as it normally should be, access may be had to the watchmans key; but, if thevalve is closed, or partly so, the key or other instrument for producing a record upon the record dial of a watchmans clock is not available. Adjacent to each valve of the system there is equipped a receptacle containing a watchmans key so as to enable the watchman, when the valve is in normal position, to effect a record upon the record dial of his'clock which will visibly indicate the time at which the station was visited. So long as these records are made at the required intervals, it is a sure indication that the valve at those particular times was open; but, if no records are made that fact will be apparent from an examination of the record dial, whichis an equally sure indication that the valve at that particular time was not in normal position. If it is a part of the watchmans duty to open the valve, or more accurately speaking, to move it back to normal position, he can then, of course, make the record on the record dial. In any event, the invention will have served its purpose.

Another feature of our invention consists in providing a device of the kind described whereby the key-receptacle may be located at variable distances from its corresponding valve.

Specification of Letters Patent.

anism in normal Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Serial No. 245,853.

in the oiawlngg 1* 1g. 1 illustrates in normal position a side view of the preferred embodiment of our invention, certain parts of the valve and certain parts of the key-receptacle being illustrated in section struction.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the invention in normal position with one of the sides of the key-receptacle removed to illustrate the mechanism contained therein.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2, illustrating the mechposition. 4- illustrates the position of certain details when the valve is closed.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral. 10 designates the water supply to the sprinkler coming from suitable pipe (not shown). Located in this supply is a valve 11 provided with a yoke 12, a threaded sleeve 13 rotatably mounted in the yoke, a valve-stem 1 1 screw-threaded to the sleeve, and a manipulating handle 15 vfixed to the sleeve 13 and adapted to rotate the same in order to impart a longitudinal movement to the valve-stem 14 and the gate valve (not shown) attached to the lower end thereof. The mechanism justdescribed is old and well known and we make no claim thereto except as it constitutes or is an element of the combination.

Preferably fixed to the manipulating wheel 15, and coaXially arranged with the valve-stem 1.4, is a chain-sprocket 16 engaged by a chain 17. This chain is continuous and passes around a second chain-spocket 18 located in the housing 19. The portions of the chain located between these sprockets is prevented from being exposed by passing through two tubular members 20 and 21, one of the end of each of which is secured to the housing 19 and the other ends of which terminate in a chamoer 22 which houses the chain-sprocket 16. The chain-sprocket 18 is secured to a shaft 23 journaled in arm 24 pivotally mounted upon the shaft 25 as a center. Also secured to the shaft 23 is a pinion 26 which meshes with a gear 27 also mounted to rotate upon the shaft 25. To the other end of +he floating arm 24 is a spring 28 which exerts a downward pull upon said arm, gear 18 and pinion 26, thereto show their interior conby tending to keep the chain 17 taut. Secured at the point 29 on the gear 27 is one end of a key chain 30, the other end of which is connected to a \vatchmans key 30 contained in a receptacle 82, a perforation being provided in the lower part of the housing 19 to enable the chain to extend therethrough. The receptacle 32 is provided with a door 3%, which is provided with an ordinary latch to enable the receptacle 32 to be normally closed.

The operation of the device is as follows. The normal position of the various parts is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; that is to say, the valve is fully open and therefore the point 29 on the gear 27 is adjacent to the perforation so that the key chain will be in a completely slack condition to enable the key to be withdrawn from the receptacle 32 to make a record upon the record dial of the watchmans clock. Should the manipulating wheel, 15, however, be rotated to move the valve from normal posi tion, there will be imparted a corresponding movement tovthe chain gear 16, chain 18, chain-gear 18, and pinion 26. The pinion 26 will in turn impart a rotary movement to the gear 27. This causes the point 29 to move around the axis 25 of the gear 27 and take up the slack in the chain 30. The gear 27 is provided with a hub 35 so that, when the point 29 moves beyond an angle of 180 degrees it will begin to wind or wrap around the hub 35 and thereby enable the winding to continue but on a greatly reduced scale, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, where practically two complete rotations of the gear 27 have been made. The construction is such that two complete rotations of the manipulating wheel 15 will impart about a half rotation to the gear 27, which draws up sufiicient slack in the chain 30 to prevent its use by the watchman in making a record upon the record dial. It will therefore be apparent that the effect of this arrangement will be quick withdrawal of the chain 30 from the key receptacle during the initial closing of the valve and a slow and practically negligible withdrawal during the further closing movement of the valve.

The floating arrangement of the sprocket 18 and pinion 26 is desirable in the assembling operation, thereby avoiding the he cessity of accurate manipulation of the various connecting parts between the valve and housing 19. i

It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact construction illustrated and described, as many changes may be made in points of detail and other embodiments resorted to without deviating from the true spirit and scope of our invention as defined in the following claims.

\Vhat we claim is 1. In a supervisory mechanism, a valve provided with a rotatable ope 'ating means and a valve stem operated thereby, in combination with a recording device normally operative "for making a record, and means for rendering said recording means inopen ative comprising a sprocket fixed to and rotatable with said operating means, gear mechanism, to which the recording device is connected and actuated by said sprocketgear, said mechanism embracing means for rendering said recording device inoperative during the initial movement of the valve from its normal position.

2. In a supervising mechanism, a valve provided with a rotatable operating means and a valve stem operated thereby, a SPIOClitiJ; fixed to rotate with said operating means, a second sprocket located at a distance therefrom, and a continuous chain connecting said sprockets whereby any movement of the operating means will be imparted to said sprockets, in combination with a record producing means normally accessible to a watchman and connected to one end of a cord or chain, and means actuated by said second sprocket gear and connected to the other end of said chain for winding up of said chain, the said last mentioned means comprising means for oftecting a quick winding action of said chain during the initial movement of the valve from its normal position.

3. In a supervisory mechanism, a valve provided with a rotatable operating means and a valve stem operated thereby, and a 100 recording device located at a distance from said valve and normally operative to produce a record in combination with means for rendering said key inaccessible, comprising a chain or cord normally in a slacked 0011- 105 dition to one end of which said key is connected, a movable member to which the other end of the chain is connected, and means actuated by said operating means to move the movable member for taking up the slack 110 in said chain, said movable member having drawing means thereon for taking up sufficient slack during its initial movement to render said key inaccessible for making a record.

4. In a supervisory mechanism, a valve provided with a rotatable operating means and a valve stem operated thereby, and a. recording device located at a distance from said valve and normally operative to produce a record, in combination with means for rendering said key inaccessible, a chain or cord normally in a slacked condition to one end of which said key is connected, a. rotatable member to which the other end of 12 the chain is eccentrically connected, and means actuated by said operating means to move said movable member to take up the slack in said chain, said movable member being provided with means for efiecting a 130 slow winding action after its initial movement.

5. A supervisory mechanism comprising a movable member to which one end of a key chain or cord is connected, the other end of said chain being provided with a watchmans key, in combination with means on said member cooperating with the member itself for winding up the key chain at two different speeds.

6. A supervisory mechanism comprising in combination a watchmans key, a chain or cord connected thereto, and means for wind ing up said chain, said means including a device the effective radius of which decreases as the chain is wound thereon.

7. A supervisory mechanism comprising in combination, a watchma-ns key, a flexible connection secured to said key, a winding drum for said connection, and means sec-uring the other end of said connection to said drum at a distance greater than the radius thereof.

8. A. supervisory mechanism comprising a movable member to which one end of a key chain or cord is connected, the other end of said chain being provided with a watchmans key, in combination with means on said member for winding up the key chain at two diiferent speeds when said member is actuated at a substantially constant speed.

' tatable member for operating the same, a

second rotatable member, means comprising an endless flexible element operatively connecting said members, a manually operable record-producing device, means for rendering said device inoperable on a predetermined movement of said flexible element, and means surrounding and impeding access to said element but permitting access to the valve-operating means.

11. A valve supervisory system as set forth in claim 2 in which the continuous claim is surrounded by a housing through out its entire length.

12. A valve supervisory system as set forth in claim 9 in which the endless flexible element is surrounded by a housing throughout its entire length.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

CHARLES E. RENSHAVV. ELLIS O. HEALY. 

